Florida Gov. Rick Scott has sharpened his opposition to the federal government’s separation of children from adults who attempt to illegally enter the U.S., specifically linking the policy to President Donald Trump and declaring in a letter late Tuesday that “This practice needs to stop now.”

A spokesman for Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson said Scott should have taken his concerns directly to Trump, a political ally who publicly urged Scott to challenge Nelson this year.

“President Trump could end this policy with the stroke of a pen. If Gov. Scott really cared about these kids, he would have written this letter to Trump asking him to end this policy instead of asking HHS to confirm what we all already know,” said Nelson spokesman Ryan Brown. Nelson and U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, were denied access to the Homestead facility earlier Tuesday.

“Recently, we received unconfirmed reports that this (Homestead) facility is now potentially holding children who have been forcibly removed from their families as a result of President Donald Trump’s zero-tolerance policy toward illegal entry into the United States,” Scott’s letter says.

“I have been very clear that I absolutely do not agree with the practice of separating children from their families. This practice needs to stop now.”

Scott’s letter concludes: “Reunifying the children who have been separated from their families is very important and the State of Florida stands ready to assist in this process. Please inform me on any measures the state can facilitate to help the reunification process. It is extremely frustrating that, after decades of inaction by the federal government, many innocent children are now paying the price for the failures of Washington. Congress must address our immigration system immediately.”